Below you will find some frequently asked questions and answers regarding water softeners, water softening, hard water, water filtration, and more. For additional information about water softening services and water treatment, call Soft Water Indianapolis at 317-749-0949 today.
What is Hard Water?
Hard water is water that contains adequate traces of dissolved mineral content, such as: iron, calcium, magnesium, and more. Hardness is measured in either “parts per million” (PPM) or “grans per gallon” (GPG. Hard water is identified as any water with more than 1 GPG of mineral content (1 GPG = 17.1 PPM). Ground water can also contain high pH levels, nitrates, chlorine, chalk, lime, iron bacteria, and more.
How Do I Check the Hardness of My Water?
You can purchase home testing strips to test the level of hardness in your water, but these are not always effective or accurate. It is best to have your water tested by a water softening specialist to determine the level of hardness in your home’s water supply. You may also look up area maps online to research the level of water hardness throughout the entire city or state.
Why is Hard Water Bad?
Hard water cannot harm you in terms of health, but it can have several adverse and undesirable affects that decrease your quality of life and home living. Hard water negatively affects faucets, plumbing, showerheads, dishwashers, water heaters, glassware, dishes, laundry, skin, hair, and much more. If you cannot seem to build a lather of soap in the shower, it could be from hard water. If you have spots on your clean dishes, this is another sign of hard water. And if skin feels sticky or dry, and hair becomes dingy and difficult to manage, it could all be from hard water. You are not truly clean until your water is truly soft.
How Do I Get Rid of Hard Water?
There are several methods to water treatment and conditioning. Some properties will only require one or the other, while some properties may need a combination of both. Everyone’s hard water removal needs are different and unique, so it is important to trust a soft water consultant for custom assistance and planning. Common hard water removal methods include water softener installation, water purification, water filtration, and more.
Can I Get Hard Water Removal For Just My Drinking Water?
Yes. There are options aside from water softeners that will only remove hard water from your drinking water. The most common method for removing unwanted, bad-tasting contaminants from drinking water is a water filter system.
What Does a Water Softener Do?
Water softeners deionize water by replacing the hard mineral ions with potassium or sodium ions. This is why water softeners use salt pellets made from potassium chloride. There are two types of water softeners: On-Demand or Timed. Talk to your trusted soft water specialist about the best for your property.
What is Well Water?
Well water is underground water that comes from a water well. The water can either be drawn up by a pump, or raised mechanically by hand using buckets to carry the water. There are options for well water filtration and iron bacteria and organics removal.
What are the Differences among Water Conditioners, Water Softeners, and Water Filters?
The terms “water conditioner” and “water softener” are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing. But a water softener is an appliance installed in your home or office that replaces dissolved hard mineral ions in your water with potassium chloride, rendering the water soft. The actual term, “water conditioner” is a vague term, used loosely to refer to any water that has been treated. So water conditioning better describes the result of both water softners and water filters, and even more. A water filter is a device used to purify a water source by removing other contaminants, like suspended solids, pesticides, chlorine, iron bacteria, and more. It does not, however, remove dissolved contaminants like water softeners do.
Will a Water Softener Remove Iron from My Water?
There are many types of iron found in water, so the type and the level of content will largely influence whether or not a water softener will remove it. Most water softeners can remove certain kinds of iron, like soluble or ferrous iron. But if the ferrous iron content is over 3PPM, or the iron content is ferric rather than ferrous, a separate iron filter will be needed to remove all traces. These iron filtration systems look much like a water softener, minus the salt or brine tank.
How Does Water Become Hard?
Rain water is naturally soft, but once it reaches the ground, it becomes contaminated by hard minerals as it penetrates and passes through each layer of Earth. Rain water picks up magnesium, calcium, chalk, lime, and more. Fortunately, these contaminants and hard minerals can be removed with the right combination of water treatment and softening.
